HARDIN — Hardin junior Ben Bird didn’t have his Class A record in the 1,600 meters for long. It lasted just one year until Livingston’s Finn Schrententhaler broke it last spring.
“I can't be jealous of him, so I've just got to be happy for him that he's done that. He deserves it. He earned that. He's worked harder than me, so I can't be mad about that," Bird said. "It's just another day of competition and I love competing against those guys."
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Those battles with Schrenethaler and Billings Central’s Greyson Piseno have sharpened Bird over the course of the past few years. But a strong fall and winter has Bird ready to retake the mantle as Class A’s distance king.
“This track season I've noticed that some of my buddies have gotten faster and they're keeping up with me now," Bird said. "It's making me stronger and making us stronger and making us better as a team. ... I just love running, so I pray that I can keep running."
Despite Bird’s relentless work ethic, he finds time to unwind in the summer and fall with one of his favorite activities. In fact, after winning the team cross country title this past October, Bird and some teammates took a day to bask in what they’d accomplished.
“Last summer was my first summer that I did nothing. All I did was run and fish with my friends," Bird said. "It's just those moments you cherish with your friends. They're also my running buddies.
"After winning state cross country — we've done it two years in a row where after state the next day we'll go fishing in the morning and we'll fish all day on the Bighorn."
Bird will be fishing for that Class A state record in the mile again come late May.
